Sleep
Saturday night I went to bed way too late, got less than six hours of sleep and then felt horrible on Sunday. Sunday night, I went to bed early, set my alarm later and got EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP! It was amazing! But wait… shouldn’t that be the norm, and not something that happens once in a blue moon? Recently I’ve been listening to a podcast Nicole recommended, “Hit Play, Not Pause.” The host is Selene Yeager, who is the co-author of Next Level- Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond. One of the guests was describing how she was running less and less but constantly felt overtrained- and then she had an epiphany. it wasn’t that she was OVERTRAINED, but UNDER-RECOVERED, because she consistently did not get enough sleep. I went back to Next Level to remind myself why sleep is so important for recovery. During deep sleep, our bodies produce human growth hormone, which stimulates tissue growth to build muscle and allow you to recover faster. Getting enough sleep also helps reduce cortisol levels, helps restock your glycogen stores, and helps your body burn fat. Progesterone and estrogen both have important roles in helping you fall asleep and stay asleep, so when those hormones drop during menopause, sleep is affected. Sheesh… is there ANYTHING that doesn’t get messed up from menopause? The truth is, I often stay up too late, look at my computer too close to bedtime, and drink caffeine too late in the day. My philosophy about age is to take it into consideration, but not use it as an excuse. The same goes for menopause- I’m starting to take it more seriously- but I can’t just use it as an excuse for letting my life fall apart. If I’m going to train for a 50K, I have to get my sleep in order. I love staying up late reading and drinking an iced tea after work, but I also need to get up early to run. I guess you can’t have everything… at least, not all at the same time. How is your sleep? Do you feel like you get enough? If you’re in your 50s or beyond, has your sleep changed?